Nohrian Outpost 31
by Burke2000
Summary: - A retelling of the film The Thing with Fire Emblem characters - The arrival of a mysterious dog and helicopter spells inevitable disaster for the small Nohrian outpost. Lies and deception are hidden around every corner, as the group must find out who is really them, and whether or not they can be trusted. (Rated T for now but rating will go up later due to gore. Not Beta Read)
1. Chapter 1

It was midday on the snowy plains. The sun shone down brightly onto the icy region, large expanses of white, dotted with hints of browns stretching as far as the eye could see. Small hills, cliffs and ridges dotting the landscape, disappearing into the distance. The formations broke up the otherwise flat desert of snow. The air was still, exuding an air of tranquillity. The only sounds in the air were a panting dog, the occasional gunshot, and the dull whir of a helicopter tearing through the open skies.

Across that icy expanse, ran a Chevian breed, a mixture of black and white, not too different from its primal wolf ancestors. A malamute. Panting as it ran, the malamute seemed to be heading for no particular destination. There was seemingly nothing for miles around. Just white, and more white.

 _Crack!_

A loud booming sound rang out across the ice, as a bullet from the helicopter launched itself next to the dog. Seemingly unfazed at the sound and its near death experience, it kept moving, away from its pursuer. Its movements did not change, it didn't change course. It just kept running.

 _Crack! Bang!_

More shots, one barely missing the dog's side rang out once more. This time, the dog did react, but not to the bullet. It paused, if only for half a second, to briefly stare into the distance. Across the white, past the cliffs and the hills, the dog had seen something. Changing its course slightly, the dog began to move again, this time faster than the.

 _Bang! Shhht! Crack!_

Up in the helicopter, the pilot watched his companion barely miss his target. He hoped that his flying wasn't messing with the shot too much. He briefly spared his companion a glance. Both men were decked in full winter gear, parkas over their heads, snow goggles on, all gloved up to brave the wilds.

 _Crack!_

His companion let off another shot. Looking down, the pilot noticed the dog stop. The helicopter briefly paused along with the canine, before setting off again and following.

 _Crack!_

The gunner took a brief pause to reload, sparing a glance at his pilot companion. He saw the air of focus he exuded, and determination grew within himself. He took aim once more. Aiming down the sights and through his goggles, the he lined up the target, and began to fire once more.

 _Bang! Bang! Bang!_

More misses. The gunner briefly puts the rifle down and looks through his binoculars. The helicopter's pause made him look forward this time, instead of their target. And that's when he saw it. A series of structures, barely poking above the horizon. Oddly shaped, he took a moment to process that he wasn't looking at a ridge or hill.

He was looking at buildings. Another camp, much like the one he had just come from.

He realised he had to pick up the pace. If that dog got to whatever outpost it was headed, it could spell disaster.

He put the binoculars down, and took aim once again.

Hoping.

Praying that wherever they were headed, that they'd be listened to.

The large cluster of buildings was, in fact, Outpost 31. The camp itself was relatively large, made of one central structure serving as a main hub, with various storerooms and snowcats scattered around, and even a helicopter to get people in and out of the camp as necessary.

The day was peaceful, the inhabitants mulling about in their respective locations, performing their duties.

Out from the shack stepped a man with unkempt white hair. He was wearing light brown parka but had it unzipped, leaving his white inner jacket exposed to the elements, coupled with a pair of jeans and standard-issue snow boots. He wore a pair of goggles around his neck, and a dark tinted pair of sunglasses over his eyes. He stepped out and locked the door, keeping a tight grip on the whiskey bottle in his left hand. Taking a swig after hearing the tell-tale click of the lock, he turned to survey the camp.

His gaze lingered on one of the snowcats closest to his shack.

 _"Is it worth going out now?"_ he contemplated. _"No, I'll wait until the snow dies down. It'll just undo all my work anyway"_

Satisfied with his decision, he began to head down the stairs from his raised sanctuary back to the cluster of buildings in the centre. He took a few steps down, hearing the soft crunch of fresh snow under his feet, and took another sip from his bottle.

Corrin's ears perked up at a strange sound in the distance. He looked up from the whiskey, and saw something that, for the base, would seem normal. A helicopter, flying towards the camp.

 _"Strange. I don't remember anyone making a call for a helicopter"_ he mused. _"Why would one be coming here?_

Corrin racked his brain for any reasons he could find, but every time, he came up blank. No need for supplies, no calls were made, nothing.

As Corrin thought, other members of the camp saw the incoming chopper, and had come out into the snow themselves. Corrin glanced down, noticing the tell-tale grey of Jakob's coat, and Benny's bulkier figure. There were more people down there, but Corrin wasn't paying them much mind, his attention brought back to the incoming vehicle. Now that it was closer, Corrin could see the odd colouring. While the helicopters associated with the Nohrian sites were a dull grey or khaki, this one was red.

 _"Red? What bases use red?"_ He asked himself as he continued down the steps.

Now on ground level, Corrin could see that more people had come outside. From his position, he could see that Xander, Silas, Leo and Keaton were missing.

 _"Guess word hasn't spread yet"_ he mused.

Looking left, he saw his companions were just as confused as he was.

"Any idea what it is?" He asked no one in particular.

"No clue" replied Kaze. The green haired man stood with his arms crossed, grey parka all buttoned up, with his signature purple scarf fluttering in the wind. Standing a head taller than Corrin, he was the base's resident meteorologist, who would usually spend his time doing research on the weather surrounding the base, before socializing with the group. "Xander's got Silas trying to flag them down. But it seems like there's been no luck so far"

Corrin hummed, puzzled. Xander not knowing anything about these new guests smelled of trouble. But Xander wasn't here to tell them what was wrong.

He turned to Odin, standing to his right, the eccentric blonde picking at his sleeves.

"Where's Leo? You were working with him today, right?" He asked.

Odin nodded in response. Like Corrin, Odin had left his jacket unzipped, showing off the black shirt he wore underneath. How he was able to wear something so thin and not freeze was anybody's guess. Taking his hand away from the sleeve, Odin began his usual run of theatrics.

"Sir Leo is still inside working on his invaluable research." Odin spoke with a dramatic flair, his hand extending out to vaguely point towards where the lab would be. "It just so happened that I had to be out of the room at the time, and saw some of my other companions staring at something. I thought I'd come out to join"

"Has he asked for anything recently? Anything that would require a helicopter?" Corrin asked.

From behind them, Benny spoke up.

"Neither of us have" the medic interjected. His imposing frame towered over the duo, but they knew better than to be intimidated. Benny was the station's medical officer, and had a heart of gold behind the constant scowl and muscular build. "I haven't needed anything for a while, and to my knowledge, neither has Leo"

The trio shared a glance, and turned their attention to the helicopter. Now closer, Corrin could see another shape moving with it. A smaller black dot was traveling across the plains in front of the chopper, seemingly running away from it.

"Is that-"Corrin began.

"A dog" Jakob finished.

The silver-haired man was around the same height as Corrin, standing straight and proud. His grey jacket zipped up and kept immaculate, Jakob was the resident mechanic, and considered to be "the most stuck up guy" on camp, at least according to Corrin. His hair tied back into a ponytail, his boots and pants kept in immaculate condition, it could be seen that Jakob took great care in his presentation and stance. But for now, Corrin pushes those thoughts aside, more worried about the canine heading towards their base.

"Why is it running?" He continued "And more importantly, why is it running from that chopper?"

As the rest of the group continued to stare, Corrin began to contemplate.

 _"Guess we'll have to wait and see what this is all about."_

 **Hey guys, thought I'd make this since it's been on my mind for a while.**

 **I'm a massive fan of the 1982 film The Thing, and decided that I would make a fanfiction but with Fire Emblem characters instead. Because I'm unoriginal. The overall theme of how The Thing and its Assimilation works is the same, as is the overall story, but some things are a little bit different. If you've seen the original film, you'll notice that there are more characters interacting outside than there were in the original. Keep your eye out for that in the future.**

 **To anyone who hasn't watched the film, I highly recommend you do. It's a cult classic horror film that was panned early in its runtime, but became extremely popular later.**

 **This fic'll update as I do it. Might be quick, might be slow. I dunno. This is one project that I don't want to drop, however.**

 **For a quick rundown of the setting and characters (and their replacements, since I'm not really going to delve into people's pasts):**

 **Corrin plays as MacReady, the base's pilot, and the main protagonist of the story.  
Leo plays as Blair, the station's biologist.  
Odin plays as Fuchs, Leo's lab assistant.  
Silas plays as Windows, the communications officer.  
Keaton plays as Clark, the dog handler.  
Niles plays as Nauls, the chef.  
Jakob plays as Childs, the station mechanic.  
Kaze plays as Bennings, the station's meteorologist.  
Benny plays as Copper, the station medic.  
Arthur plays as Norris, the station's geologist.  
Laslow plays as Parmer, the assistant mechanic and back-up pilot.  
and lastly, Xander plays as Gary, the station manager.**

 **Don't worry about everyone not getting a set in the limelight, that'll come later.**

 **Don't forget to leave a rate and review (or whatever calls it)  
Give me some critiques/pointers, I'd love to hear em!**


	2. Unexpected Guests

Chapter 2: Unexpected Guests

By the time the dog was close enough to be heard barking, more people had come and gone. Arthur, apparently "disturbed" at the lack of his fellow researchers had come looking, with Laslow tagging along. They too joined the group, and began to stare murmur among themselves.

"Any word from inside?" Corrin asked.

"None so far. Leo's still holed up in the lab, and we haven't seen Xander or Silas" Laslow replied. The gray haired man was one of the shortest in the group, and the most laid-back, after Niles. His parka seemed hastily put on, still wearing his headphones, torn jeans and sneakers, obviously not expecting that he'd be dragged out into the cold so soon.

"It's most strange, really" Arthur added. The tallest after Benny, Arthur stood proud. Broad shoulders, large muscles, and a constant smile on his face. The blonde was the station's

Niles had replaced Odin, who had decided to run back into the lab to inform Leo of the situation.

"Strange" Niles commented "Dog doesn't sound scared. You'd think that if it was being shot at, you'd hear"

Niles was the station's cook, and liked to parade around the fact that he didn't have to do "any actual work." He stood at around Jakob's height, a mess of white hair contrasting his tanned skin. His black parka, stained with what was presumably coffee, complimented his black snow boots and eyepatch well. Though he'd never tell the stories of how he acquired either.

"Someone should get Keaton. He's good with dogs" Corrin suggested. "And go talk to Xander. See what's going on with him"

"I'll go. Wait for me, and don't do anything stupid" Jakob nodded to the group, and rushed back into the main building.

"He's so stuck up. That'll never get old" Niles muttered to himself. "Ain't that right, Corrin"

Corrin raised an eyebrow in response, before shrugging and turning away, hiding his own sly grin. While he agreed Jakob could be a bit haughty at times, he held a level of respect for the silver-haired mechanic.

"I mean it's true, but you shouldn't say it" Corrin snickered.

"Don't talk about Xander like that, you two" Benny interjected.

The two shared a sheepish glance, before noticing another figure exit the main building. Shaggy black hair with a large white stripe through the centre was the telltale sign of Keaton, the station's dog manager. We wore a dirtied khaki parka, and an even dirtier pair of slacks and snowboots.

"Jakob ran in, saying something 'bout a dog. What's up?" he asked "Didn't say much, and I know it's not one of ours"

"Take a look for yourself" Corrin explained, gesturing vaguely to their unwelcome guests, who by now, had stopped firing. The group could hear the low, throbbing hum of the engine, and the whir of the blades as it approached.

As Keaton began to walk forward, his eyes opened wide, and he broke out into a sprint among the group. The dog had reached the outskirts of the camp, and the helicopter was beginning to descend.

"Red chopper?" he panted, staring at the chopper "That's Hoshido. We haven't had word from the station since about 2 days ago. They were on the lines, and then they just went dead"

"Like Silas now" Benny remarked. He looked up, and grabbed Keaton by the shoulder "Furry guest, 12 o'clock. You're up"

As Keaton looked up, he saw the dog begin to break into a sprint, and before could react, it had tackled him to the ground, and begun to lick his face. The rest of the group looked on in amusement, but turned back to the now landed helicopter.

"We've got company" Corrin stated.

From the vehicle stepped two men, both rugged up more than anyone else outside. Goggles, balaclavas, and heavy snow-padding covered the entirety of their bodies. The pilot exited from his side on the cockpit, before immediately opening the cabin, and began to rummage around.

"Hey uhh, who are you guys?" Niles asked.

The pilot took a brief pause to stare at the cyclops, before saying something in Hoshidan to his companion.

"That doesn't answer my question" Niles began "I asked who-"

But before he could finish, a gunshot rang out across the ice. The sole passenger of the plane had exited, and was aiming directly at the group. Shouting incoherently, he began to open fire.

"HIT THE DECK!" Benny shouted, pulling Corrin and Niles to the ground with him.

The others jumped down where possible, the masked man continuing to shout at them. Staring on in fear, Corrin watched as the pilot finally came from rummaging inside the helicopter, holding a mysterious box. From it, he pulled a grenade, and its pin.

Time seemed to slow as the pilot brought his arm above his head to lob the explosive. He closed his eyes, awaiting the dull thud of metal on snow, and for the piercing sound of an explosion, for the sound of the screams of his companions. But it never came.

Instead, Corrin heard the pilot let out a panicked shout. He opened his eyes, and saw him scrambling away from the group. Corrin watched in bewilderment as he frantically scrambled behind him, shouting in a panic. As he dug through the snow, Corrin felt a brief moment of peace, the man with the gun forgotten, his attention now fully focused on the panicking stranger.

That peace was quickly broken however, as the pilot found what he was looking for. Now in his hand once more was the grenade. He let out a small shout for joy, and reared his hand back to throw.

 _BOOM_

Before the explosive could be thrown, it triggered in the pilot's hand, engulfing him and the nearby helicopter in a ball of flame.

"Holy Shit!" Corrin heard a shout from beside him, but couldn't discern the source in the fire. But before he could, another series of gunshots was let loose from the passenger, aiming at Keaton, and the dog who was now hiding behind his legs. He began to yell again, and started firing wildly.

 _Crack_

The first series of shots missed.

 _Crack_

The second barely missed Keaton's arm

 _Crack_

A scream followed the third. Corrin glances over, and saw Kaze holding his leg, red seeping into his pants from behind his hands.

"Hey, what the hell!?" Niles shouted.

The gunman and continued firing wildly. By now, Keaton had dove behind one of the snow piles, leaving the dog standing out in the open, staring the gunman down. As his aim focused on the furry offender, another gunshot rang out across the ice. But this one was not from the intruder. Corrin glanced over to the source of the noise, seeing the window to the communications room shattered, and the barrel of a revolver poking out from the hole.

"Is it… is it over?" Niles whispered from beside him.

Corrin glances at the wreckage, taking it all in. The smoldering helicopter, pieced strewn about nearby, the destroyed remains leaving a burning, oily smell in the air. He took in its equally burnt pilot, or at least, where he was. With little to speak of what was an actual human, a blackened spot of ash and gore had taken his place.

 _"That's gonna take weeks to clean out"_ he thought, before shaking his head, hoping the intruding thoughts of his workload would go away, and let him focus on the dead in front of him.

His gaze travelled now to the felled gunner, the snow beneath his head a deep, brilliant shade of red. The rifle lay by his side, his finger still loosely gripped around the trigger.

Niles' shouting brought him out of his reviere.

"Is it over? Corrin?"

The white haired man lifted himself up, and offered his hand to Niles, who gladly took it.

"Yeah. Hopefully"

 **Hey guys, sorry for taking so long to update.**

 **School and life kinda caught up with me, and I couldn't find the time or motivation to write.**

 **But hopefully I'll get back into it more this year.**

 **Stay tuned, and thanks for reading!**


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